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METRO users will be transported into a land of fairytales next week . . . thanks to a major new art event throughout the region. The Tyne and Wear Metro will play host to stunning photographic displays as part of the TellingTales exhibition - the first solo show from North East artist Amanda J Kennington. The photographs, which will take residence for six weeks at Metro stations across the region, promise to transport passengers back into the fairytales of their childhood - with a contemporary twist. The exhibition is the latest in a long line of artistic presentations supported by Nexus through its Art on Transport campaign. Metro users can expect to find a modern interpretation of timeless fairytale stories, bringing classic characters into an everyday setting and exploring all the essential themes - life and death, love and hate, victory and defeat. The artist, Amanda J Kennington, has exhibitions at the Truman Brewery, London, under her belt, as well as shows at Newcastle's Fingertips, Waygood and Hatton Galleries. In this exhibition, which will be brightening the journeys of thousands of passengers from March 31, she has tried to portray her own fears and fantasies in a series of five poignant, dream-like photographs. The stories of Rapunzel, the Little Mermaid, Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella are the themes for some dramatic and, Amanda hopes, emotive images. “I've used fairytales as the basis for the show because they offer universal and accessible subjects,” she said. “Everyone knows these stories, so they offer ideal themes for public artwork- hopefully people will be able to tap into the issues I'm trying to portray, such as the complications of growing up and loss of innocence. “But I'm not trying to get one specific message across. The images will mean different things to different people, and if I can make people stop and look at the photographs, then I have achieved something.” Amanda, who is studying for an MA in photography at Sunderland University and who works at the Baltic Arts Centre, admits that the opportunity to display her work across the Metro system brought a unique opportunity.
“I'm so grateful to Nexus for allowing me to put this exhibition on,” she said.
“It is a different challenge, and a chance for me to reach a much wider audience. “I firmly believe contemporary art should be for everyone, and now I've got the opportunity to test myself by producing accessible artwork in the public domain - which is what I've always wanted to do.”
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